Kravitz: For Canadians in '98, it was 'gold or nothing'

Feb. 22, 2014

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SOCHI, RUSSIA — This was 1998, in Nagano, Japan, and oddly enough, a bunch of us were assembled at a downtown bar. (Look, it’s what journalists do after a 14-hour day; don’t judge me).

The Canadian hockey team had just lost to the Dominik Hasek and the Czechs in a shootout, and the place was suddenly crawling with Canadian hockey players. Two, who shall remain nameless, shared a shot with me. Let’s just say their night included several shots, with me and with everybody else in the joint.

“Wait, don’t you have a bronze medal game tomorrow?’’ I asked one of the players.

He almost spit out his drink.

“We’re Canadians,’’ he said dismissively. “It’s gold or nothing.’’

Not exactly Pierre de Coubertin, who once said, “The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.’’

Right, then.

The Canadians then went out the next day and lost the bronze-medal game to Finland.

Could have seen that coming.

Bob Kravitz is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Call him at (317) 444-6643 or email bob.kravitz@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BKravitz.